Hundred Battles Martial Training Ground

Skywind Martial City, South District, Yuelai Teahouse.

"Slurp—"

Tang Xiaoman, holding a leg of braised spirit deer, ate with his mouth full of oil and said indistinctly:

"I say, Brother Qin, I heard you split that kid Ning Zhiyuan into a dried corpse with one sword? Tsk tsk, that's terrifying."

Qin Jue picked up his wine cup and swirled it, then said:

"Ning Zhiyuan... that was him asking for death, taking medicine recklessly? I just went with the flow and sent him on his way. In the end, he was just a pathetic worm inflated by his family's vanity."

"Heh, I only admire your way with words. You insult people with such skill."

"By the way, how's your injury?"

"It's been better for a long time." Tang Xiaoman patted his chest. "You know, my Crimson Sun Marrow Refining Technique has strong recovery abilities. That little injury was nothing."

He took another big bite of meat and continued, "It's just that I was bored stiff, lying there for a month, my bones were almost rusty."

Qin Jue glanced at him.

Tang Xiaoman's aura was much steadier than when they were at Silver Moon Bay. Although it was still a bit shaky, he was mostly fine. However, a shadow occasionally flickered in his eyes, revealing that he hadn't completely moved past that life-and-death battle.

"Where's Brother Pei?"

"Him? Haven't seen him around lately." Tang Xiaoman finished the meat and tossed the bone onto the plate. "I guess he's in seclusion, trying to break through to the Hundred Refinements Seventh Layer."

"But speaking of which, although the last fight was brutal and I almost lost my life, it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. I feel like my Qi and Blood has become more condensed, and my hands have been itching to find a place to stretch my muscles."

Qin Jue's eyebrows twitched slightly, and he asked, "Where do you want to go?"

Tang Xiaoman chuckled, lowered his voice, and leaned in mysteriously, "Hundred Battles Martial Training Ground."

Qin Jue's expression shifted upon hearing the name. It wasn't unfamiliar; in fact, it was thunderous. It was the true soul of Skywind Martial City, a bloody arena that cared not for origin, only for battle records. Countless desperate fighters and battle maniacs honed their life-and-death combat skills there, while countless commoner geniuses saw it as a ladder to defy fate, yearning to make a name for themselves on the 'Victory Streak Board' and become rich overnight.

"Let's go." Qin Jue stood up, took out a gold coin from his pocket, and threw it on the table. "Coincidentally, I also have some things to take care of, and I need to buy some cultivation resources."

He planned to visit the Four Seas Pavilion again. Advancing from the Hundred Refinements Fourth Layer to the Fifth Layer, though only a step away, was too slow through mere meditation and hard training. His current physical body, reshaped by the Nine Revolutions Viscera Refining Secret Record, was like a bottomless container. Ordinary cultivation speed couldn't fill this void; it required a massive influx of resources.

Tang Xiaoman's eyes lit up. "Got it! Brother Qin's treating, so I won't be polite! Let's go!"

Four Seas Pavilion.

The Four Seas Pavilion was as bustling as ever. As the largest merchant guild in Skywind Martial City, it never lacked martial artists looking to sell off loot or find treasures.

The steward behind the counter was idly counting his abacus. When he looked up and saw Qin Jue, his eyes immediately brightened. He quickly came out from behind the counter, his face beaming with an enthusiastic smile.

"Ah, Young Master Qin! What brings you here today? How were those Stone Bell Milk you bought last time?"

Qin Jue nodded faintly and placed the cloth-wrapped broken saber on the counter. "Quite good. I'm here today to deal with something."

The steward's gaze fell on the broken saber, and his eyes immediately became professional. He picked up the saber and examined it repeatedly for a long time before exclaiming, "A good saber! Although it's broken, this material is mixed with refined profound iron, and the forging technique is from a master. If it were intact, it would be worth at least two thousand Gold Notes. Unfortunately, although the break is clean, the interior has been completely shattered by that instantaneous high-frequency vibration. The cost of repair is too high, so it can only be recycled as scrap."

The steward put down the broken saber and held up one finger. "One thousand Gold Notes. Young Master Qin is a regular customer, and our Four Seas Pavilion will never let you suffer a loss."

Qin Jue didn't haggle. This saber was Ning Zhiyuan's Frost Blade, a Mortal Tier Upper Grade weapon. It had been cut by his Thousand Threads in that battle, and selling it for this price was already quite good.

"Deal."

After receiving the Gold Notes, Qin Jue didn't leave immediately. He pondered for a moment, then looked at the steward and asked, "Steward, I also need a batch of resources to aid my cultivation. The requirements are the same as last time: high purity, no impurities."

The steward looked thoughtful. He sized up Qin Jue and said with some surprise, "Judging by your aura, Young Master Qin... have you not broken through to the Hundred Refinements Fifth Layer yet? Those three portions of fifty-year-old Stone Bell Milk last time, with their potent medicinal effects, still couldn't help you break through?"

He clicked his tongue in amazement. "It seems your foundation is far more profound than ordinary people imagine. In that case, ordinary Spiritual Medicine might no longer be effective for you. You'll need at least hundred-year-old Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures."

Qin Jue frowned slightly. "Do you have any in stock?"

The steward smiled wryly and shook his head. "Young Master Qin, you must understand that once Spiritual Medicine reaches a hundred years old, the price becomes vastly different from fifty-year-old ones. Take this 'Hundred-Year Stone Bell Milk,' for example. Its potent medicinal effects are so strong that even martial artists in the Blood Dissolving Realm might not be able to fully withstand it. Moreover, treasures of this caliber are rare even for us at the Four Seas Pavilion. We don't have any in stock at the moment. If you're not in a hurry, you can place an order."

Qin Jue's heart sank slightly.

The path of martial arts truly required wealth, companions, methods, and location; none could be lacking. He was currently stuck at the peak of the Hundred Refinements Fourth Layer. To break through to the Fifth Layer, relying solely on meditating and absorbing the world's Origin Energy would take at least several months of painstaking effort. But he couldn't afford to wait. The Outer Prefecture Grand Competition was imminent, and potential enemies were countless. He had to exchange resources for time.

"However..." the steward said, as if remembering something, and his tone shifted. He lowered his voice and said, "If you're really in a hurry for treasures of this caliber, there might be other avenues. I heard that a few days ago, Wuming Workshop acquired a 'Purple Haze Dragon Vein Grass.' While not as good as hundred-year-old Stone Bell Milk, it's still an extremely rare treasure for tempering Jade Bone."

Qin Jue's eyes narrowed slightly, a sharp glint flashing within them.

Wuming Workshop.

He was also familiar with this name. It was the most chaotic and darkest underground trading market in Skywind Martial City, hidden within a natural cave that never saw the light of day. There were no lights within the workshop; transactions were conducted in secret, with only one rule: "No questions asked about origin, cash and goods exchanged." It specialized in dealing with shady materials from ferocious beasts and blood-stained weapons.

It seemed that after the Hundred Battles Martial Training Ground, he would have to make a trip to Wuming Workshop.

"Thank you for the guidance, Steward." Qin Jue put away the Gold Notes and turned to leave. Tang Xiaoman was squatting by the entrance chewing on a blade of grass. Seeing Qin Jue come out, he immediately patted his butt and followed.

As Qin Jue and Tang Xiaoman just walked into the hall, two burly men carried out a stretcher. A blood-soaked martial artist lay on it, one arm already gone, the bone exposed at the wound. Blood dripped from the stretcher onto the ground, leaving a long trail of crimson.

But no one around showed a shred of sympathy.

"Pah! Useless! Made me lose money!"

"Carry him away, carry him away, don't block the view, let the next match start quickly!"

This was the Hundred Battles Martial Training Ground.

Tang Xiaoman let out a long breath, the playful grin completely gone from his face, replaced by a trembling excitement. He licked his lips, his eyes sharp.

"Brother Qin, this place is intense, isn't it?" Tang Xiaoman looked at the fervent crowd around them and said in a low voice, "Here, life is worth the least, but also worth the most. As long as you can win, you're a king, you can have anything you want. If you lose... heh, you're just a pile of rotten meat."

Qin Jue's gaze calmly swept across his surroundings. He could feel the blood within him, long dormant, begin to churn slightly at this moment. It was the instinctive reaction of the Nine Revolutions Viscera Refining Secret Record stimulated by the potent Qi and Blood around them, and also the craving for battle deep in his bones.

This feeling of release after extreme suppression was exactly what he needed right now.

"Let's go register," Qin Jue said calmly.

The two arrived at the registration desk. The person in charge of registration was a one-eyed old man, who was bent over counting Gold Notes. Without looking up, he tossed out two wooden tokens.

"Fill in a codename. This place doesn't ask about your background or origin. You're responsible for your own life and death."

Tang Xiaoman skillfully grabbed the brush and quickly wrote down "Copper Coin." This was a codename he had used before, and it was quite fitting.

"Old man, the rules haven't changed, right?" Tang Xiaoman handed over the wooden牌 and asked casually.

The one-eyed old man didn't look up, still counting Gold Notes, and said, "They haven't. Win one match, get half of the total bet for that match. Ten consecutive wins, get one-tenth."

"As for a hundred consecutive wins..."

At this point, his hand movements suddenly paused.

The old man finally looked up. His single eye seemed somewhat sinister in the dim light, and he revealed a strange smile. "Heh heh, then you can enter the inner arena and witness the real 'good stuff.' However, I've been sitting here for over ten years, and I haven't seen many who could live to that point."

Tang Xiaoman grinned, "Then I'll remember that."

He said, pushing the wooden plaque towards Qin Jue, "Brother Qin, it's your turn."

Qin Jue took the brush and thought for a moment. Half, if it was a big match with many people betting, it would be a considerable income. Moreover, the battles here were meant to hone oneself, and being able to earn some cultivation resources on the side was a win-win.

As for a codename...

Here, he didn't intend to use his real name. It wasn't out of fear, but rather to avoid unnecessary trouble. In this mixed-bag place, maintaining an air of mystery often helped one live longer.

The brush tip fell, writing with powerful strokes.

--Ghost Face.

"Alright," the old man glanced at their wooden牌. "'Copper Coin,' go to platform Ding-3. 'Ghost Face,' go to platform Ding-5. Remember, once you're on the stage, only one person can stand down, or both can lie down."

The two left the wooden table. Tang Xiaoman chuckled, "Brother Qin, you watch first, I'll go up and stretch my muscles."

"You?"

"What, you don't trust me?" Tang Xiaoman patted his chest. "Don't mind that my injuries have just healed, I can still take care of a few Hundred Refinements Fifth Layer opponents."

As he spoke, he strode towards the arena.

Qin Jue stood outside the crowd, watching quietly.

On the arena, the two martial artists from before had already been carried away. The blood hadn't been wiped clean yet, and the ground was a mess.

The referee was a thin old man. Standing at the edge of the arena, he shouted hoarsely, "Next match, who's coming?"

"I'll come!"

Tang Xiaoman leaped onto the arena with a spring in his step, grinning and revealing two dimples.

The crowd below burst into laughter.

"Yo, another greenhorn."

"Look at this scrawny body, probably won't last three moves."

"I bet he loses, who's with me?"

Tang Xiaoman didn't get angry. He simply stretched his wrists. His Cloud Treading Boots tapped lightly on the ground, making a muffled sound.

"Come on, who wants to play with me?"